Rob Reiner's Son Confessed to Stealing From Parents for Sex Worker Years Before Murder Arrest

Nick Reiner, the son of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, once recounted stealing funds from his parents to finance his first sexual encounter with a sex worker — an event that occurred long before his subsequent arrest for their murder.

During a 2017 broadcast of the “Dopey” podcast that recently reemerged, Nick, then 32, spoke about losing his virginity when he was 15. He described browsing Craigslist profiles and finding one featuring only a photo of a woman's backside and a phone number. He called her, explaining that he learned about soliciting sex workers from someone he met during outpatient rehabilitation. “That’s how I knew how to do it.”

Nick initiated contact with the woman via telephone.

“I believe I was watching Tom and Jerry or something, and I approached my computer to obtain this woman’s number. I contacted her when I was approximately 14, and her standard fee was around $200. This is the portion of the anecdote I generally omit, but I’ll share it regardless,” he stated. “I obtained $200 from my parents.”

Celebrity Virginity Loss Stories

In the podcast discussion, Nick admitted to taking the money without permission from his parents, noting, “I didn’t say, ‘Hey, look, I’m going to spend the night with a [sex worker]. Do you have a spare $200?’ It was also around 1 a.m. … She arrived. I wasn’t sure of the protocol, so I attempted to kiss her.
She rejected that attempt.”

Nick did not consider the unidentified woman to be physically attractive.

“It didn’t matter to me because I was young, and my reaction was, ‘This is incredible.’ [The encounter lasted] 15 seconds. I felt somewhat terrible, but I also thought, ‘That’s amazing,'” he recalled. “Afterward, I discovered I possessed additional funds and contacted her again. She returned for a second visit.”

He concluded: “I never inquired about her name and never delved into specific details about anything. However, as I frequently recounted this story, someone eventually nicknamed her Cherry Red, which is what I now call her. [I consumed] a pot brownie and was very high. But I would have still done it even if I were sober. [The second encounter lasted] 30 seconds.”

Nick frequently called into the “Dopey” podcast to talk about his experiences with sobriety, including both successes and failures. His substance abuse issues began during his teenage years, resulting in his initial rehabilitation stay at age 15. Following numerous relapses and additional treatment programs, Nick found himself without a home after rejecting assistance from his parents.

“I experienced homelessness in Maine. I experienced homelessness in New Jersey. I experienced homelessness in Texas,” Nick shared with People magazine in 2016. “I spent nights on the streets. I spent weeks on the streets. It wasn’t enjoyable. If I insisted on handling things my way and not participating in the programs recommended by my parents, then homelessness was the consequence.”

Nick attended rehabilitation facilities 17 times before he successfully achieved sobriety.

“That experience of dealing with those issues shaped who I am today,” he informed the publication. “I encountered remarkably wonderful people there, who were outside my usual circle. Now, I have been back home for a significant period and have gradually readjusted to life in L.A. and being with my family.”

This background served as the inspiration for Nick’s 2015 movie, Being Charlie, which he collaborated on writing, with his father directing the production. Cary Elwes portrayed the father figure, and Nick Robinson played the son in this film based on true events.

Comments from Rob Reiner's Son Nick Regarding Addiction and Their Challenging Connection

“For me personally, the entire undertaking helped me gain a much deeper understanding of him, and I believe it improved my parenting skills,” Rob, then 78, stated during a Build Series event in 2016. “I hope so. I am unsure.”

Nick, however, declined to address a question during a 2016 gathering regarding the current state of his relationship with Rob. “At times, it became too much for me. I truly wasn’t certain if I wanted to participate in this,” he confessed.

Rob admitted that they experienced “disagreements” during the process. “Working on the film together was genuinely difficult at times,” he remembered.

Following his sobriety, Nick disclosed on the “Dopey” podcast throughout several years that he had experienced relapses before attempting to return to sobriety. He was apprehended on Monday, December 15, after Rob and Michele, then 68, were discovered deceased “from suspected stab wounds” inside their residence in Los Angeles.

The couple, united in marriage in 1989, had three offspring together: Jake, Nick, and Romy. (Rob additionally adopted Tracy, the daughter of his ex-wife Penny Marshall.) Prior to Rob and Michele’s passing, they reportedly engaged in a public dispute with Nick during Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party on Saturday, December 13.

An insider informed Us Weekly exclusively that Nick allegedly behaved “strangely” at the event and inquired of attendees “if they had achieved fame” before departing. He remains in custody without possibility of bail as officials proceed with their investigation into the killing.